Wednesday, April 12, 2006
He doesn't speak the language
This really is the best time of year in Cape Town. The weather is still warm but not too hot, the wind has died down a bit, and most of the tourists have gone. Don't tell anyone. Better still is that the combination of a Christian heritage (Easter), the peaceful revolution (the first elections), and some communists in power (Workers' Day), we get four 4-day weeks in a row!
I just found an article in the Telegraph about South African English: takkies for trainers, robots for traffic lights and stoep for verandah. The writer missed out bakkies and braais, but it reminds me of a friend (who is long overdue a trip back here if he's reading) who was convinced that Cape Town airport had been renamed for some African hero as opposed to whichever Afrikaaner it had previously celebrated. This was because of the signs to "Lughawe Airport", the first word presumably the name of said warrior, and pronounced Loog-ha-way. Lughawe is, of course, Afrikaans for airport, but it makes me smile every time I see the sign...
I just found an article in the Telegraph about South African English: takkies for trainers, robots for traffic lights and stoep for verandah. The writer missed out bakkies and braais, but it reminds me of a friend (who is long overdue a trip back here if he's reading) who was convinced that Cape Town airport had been renamed for some African hero as opposed to whichever Afrikaaner it had previously celebrated. This was because of the signs to "Lughawe Airport", the first word presumably the name of said warrior, and pronounced Loog-ha-way. Lughawe is, of course, Afrikaans for airport, but it makes me smile every time I see the sign...
